Greek Beyond GCSE

John Taylor

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781474299756
• eBook ISBN: 9781474299763
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Ancient Languages
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

Greek Beyond GCSE covers all the linguistic requirements for the OCR AS and A Level in Classical Greek. It aims to bring students to a point where they can tackle original Greek texts with confidence. Although designed as a continuation of Greek to GCSE, it is self-contained and can be used independently. This second edition is brought in line with the current OCR specifications. The first part of the book introduces new constructions accompanied by exercises including the translation of sentences from English to Greek and reading passages(which in the opening chapters are lightly adapted). The next sections provide translation and comprehension passages at both AS and A Level standard, including verse unseens, scansion, and a list of 300 common poetic words (new to this edition). Next come longer unadapted extracts from a range of authors. Finally there is a reference section including a summary of all constructions, a comprehensive grammar, various appendices and a vocabulary of about 1, 200 Greek words.

Chapter One

DIRECT AND INDIRECT QUESTIONS

We saw in Greek to GCSE (1) that any sentence can be made into a question simply by adding a question mark (;), but that open questions (asking whether a statement is true, so that the answer will be yes or no) are commonly signalled by ἆρα at the beginning:

ἆρα ὁ παῖς μῶρός ἐστιν;

Is the boy stupid?

The word ἆρα cannot be translated in isolation (think of it as, but do not write, Is it the case that …? - like French Est-ce que …?): you need to look first at the tense and person of the verb.

•By adding οὐ after ἆρα (elided to ἆρ’ οὐ, and with οὐ changing to οὐκ or οὐχ according to the usual rule if a vowel follows) the question is loaded to expect or invite the answer yes:

		ἆρ’ οὐχ ὁ παῖς μῶρός ἐστιν;
		Isn’t the boy stupid?
	or	Surely the boy is stupid?

•With the alternative negative μή, the question is loaded in the other direction, to expect or invite no:

		ἆρα μὴ ὁ παῖς μῶρός ἐστιν;
		The boy isn’t stupid, is he?
	or	Surely the boy isn’t stupid?
		This meaning can also be expressed by using μῶν (a contraction of μή and οὖν):
		μῶν ὁ παῖς μῶρός ἐστιν;

The easiest way to remember these is to think of ἆρ’ οὐ as surely and of ἆρα μή (or μῶν) as surely not. They correspond respectively to Latin nonne (expecting yes) and num (expecting no).

We also met direct questions asking for specific information, introduced by one of a number of interrogative or question words (mos...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Contents
• List of illustrations
• Preface
• Map
• List of Abbreviations
• Chapter One
• Chapter Two
• Chapter Three
• Chapter Four
• Chapter Five: AS-Level Practice Passages and Sentences
• Chapter Six: A-Level Practice Passages (1)
• Chapter Seven: A-Level Practice Passages (2)
• Chapter Eight: Readings
• Chapter Nine: Summaries of Syntax
• Reference Grammar
• 1: Words easily confused
• 2: Greek and Latin constructions compared
• 3: Pronunciation
• 4: Outline of Greek history
• 5: Major Greek authors
• Glossary of grammar terms
• Vocabulary
• Index
• Copyright